Ireland understands Amendment 73

I am writing to urge you to vote for Mick Ireland for Pitkin County assessor.

In a recent article about the county assessor’s race, The Aspen Times asked the candidates what they felt were the biggest issues for the Assessor’s Office. Deb Bamesberger said, “The biggest issue I see with the Assessor’s Office is if Amendment 73 passes.” She commented briefly about the impact of Amendment 73 on property taxes, but did not explain why it was a problem or offer any solutions. Deb made a similar statement during Squirm Night. As a retired teacher, I am a strong advocate for Amendment 73, having carried a petition this summer to get it on the ballot and supporting its passage in a recent letter to the editor, so I was disappointed that Bamesberger brought the issue up twice, yet had no plan to solve what she saw as a problem.

On the other hand, I’ve had several conversations with Mick Ireland on Amendment 73. I was impressed with his knowledge of the various state laws that affect school funding and taxation. Mick explained that while Amendment 73 is complex, it is a relatively simple matter of doing some arithmetic and programming to reconcile Amendment 73 with the Gallagher Amendment, which deals with residential and commercial property taxes. Mick supports Amendment 73 and did not see it as a problem, but just as another aspect of the assessor’s job.

Finally, Mick has broad experience in the area of taxation and thorough knowledge about state, county and city governance. He has been a dedicated public servant for many years and has earned my respect. Based on these qualities and Mick’s explanation of how Amendment 73 would be implemented, I strongly urge everyone to “Let Mick do the math” and vote for Ireland for county assessor.

Stacey Weiss

Aspen